Arena: Overprolonged adjuvant tamoxifen therapy in breast cancer

While adjuvant tamoxifen therapy given continuously for 2–3years can lead to a modest improvement in survival rates inearly breast cancer, there is no evidence that prolonging tamoxifenadministration beyond that time is likely to improve survivalrates any further in unselected cases. In the case of advanceddisease, an alternating tamoxifen/progestagen regimen has beenshown to increase the response rate and also its duration, beyondthat to be expected from either agent alone. The next generationof adjuvant trials in breast cancer needs to explore the potentialof an alternating tamoxifen/megestrol regimen. breast cancer, tamoxifen therapy, progestagen therapy, megestrol therapy, adjuvant therapy